Forgive Me
by Perceptive
Summary: Regardless of the howling wind, he had heard her. Pain flickered in his eyes before he steeled himself. Somehow, he had known what she would ever thank him for; it was painfully obvious. Rated M for possible future chapters.


_**Disclaimer: **I don't own One Piece or any of the characters in this story. _

_**A/N: **_Hello guys! This was supposed to be a short drabble but I guess it is not short so it is not a drabble anymore. I had a strong case of writer's block; those who read my ongoing story probably hate me right now. (I'M WORKING ON IT) Anyhow, I started writing this on my iPod one day when I was bored. Voila! CrocodilexRobin. Not a favorite but shit happens and this ship is sailing! S-A-I-L-I-N-G~ and there's no smut. Come on people. THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE BITTERSWEET AND REALISTIC. Butttttttttttttt I could throw in another chapter of porn if you ask nicely. **8D**

Without further ado,

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><p>Robin was no navigator; however, she was smart enough not to get lost. How could she have forgotten how bad Zoro was with directions? She scolded herself for listening to that Marimo.<p>

As she wandered in the forest, seeking shelter from the vicious storm they encountered. Tsk. There was no one other than her captain to blame for this misfortune. His blood lusted for adventure, hence their arrival to this sketchy island. She sighed quietly. The log pose needle had caught Luffy's attention, staying still for a minute then doing a 360 a bit after. To their surprise, the island looked harmless; it was harmless until the weather started fluctuating.

The sun was so bright when they had first arrived. It was up to her and the swordsman to find any sign of civilization. However, the unexpected storm separated the two and now she was on her own. She had no worries. After all, Zoro was more than capable of handling himself and so was she. Her concerns lay with Ussop and Chopper; the two were busy looking for herbs and other things the little reindeer needed. They would manage somehow.

She swatted through the brush and made her way to a cave, a slight distance from the cover of the trees. A cave would be a much drier choice, keeping her chances of illness low. What she did not expect to find was a familiar figure standing directly in front of the very same cave she set her eyes on.

In mere seconds, she was in defense mode.

He had turned around already, his eyes dug under her skin, his expression, unfathomable.

She relaxed into a casual stance. He was a threat, yes, however when he was this soaked she would have a fighting chance. This she knew "Why are you here?" her tone, light yet accusing.

The golden orbs flickered, assessing her with that same expressionless look. "Mere coincidence."

She did not believe him; he had given her no reason to. To his defense, he proved to be an ally to Luffy when the crew was out of reach and she was grateful for that. If it were not for him, Luffy would have been dead. She also noted it was more for his own personal gain but many times in the war, he went out of his way for Luffy. She allowed herself to relax even more. The strain on her face softened down a notch and she smiled tentatively. "What brings you here?" she replied.

"The fluctuating needles of the log pose."

"I didn't know you were a risk taker." Robin's eyebrow rose at that response. It was hard to imagine Crocodile as the adventurous type that he must have been when he was younger. Did time change him? Did he go back to his younger ways?

He chuckled in slight amusement. "You didn't know me at all, Nico Robin." His deep baritone voice drawled.

She ignored that jab and dug her mind for conversation. She could not let him escape, not now after they had not seen each other in years. She wanted to… hell she did not know what she wanted but he couldn't leave. "Thank you." Robin blurted out without thinking, her voice coming out in a harsh whisper.

Regardless of the howling wind, he had heard her. Pain flickered in his eyes before he steeled himself. Somehow, he had known what she would ever thank him for; it was painfully obvious. "Of course. It'd be a shame if the marines killed him before any of us did."

She nodded curtly. Neither of the two parties had that choice. She was much grateful when she had heard Luffy helped him escape Impel Down, grateful that he was free to roam the seas again. Despite what seemed normal, she should have been grateful for his capture but she was not. It left her feeling desolate. He haunted her thoughts every now and then although it has been more than three years. "I am grateful..." she whispered as her body lurched forward on its own, stopping a step or two before Crocodile.

"For what?" He stared at the raven-haired woman, perplexed by her sudden outburst.

She opened her mouth to explain, and then closed it when another furious gust of wind ripped around them.

Before Crocodile could understand what he was doing, he brushed the strands of wet hair obscuring her vision out of the way. His hand dropped to the side when he felt her stiffened. "What did you mean?" his deep voice came out in a low audible whisper, matching Robin's from before.

Robin was surprised when his feather light touch brushed her face, she glared at the ground for stiffening, and he thought she despised him. She did not; her initial shock caused her to flinch. "I'm glad that you're free to live again."

"Glad? For what silly woman? Did you catch a fever?" Crocodile's mocking tone rung around them.

She cringed as it stabbed her heart. She looked up and smiled that famous unreadable smile of hers. "I am not sick. You're most welcome to check." She took his right hand in her grasp with both of her own and pressed it against her neck. She flushed slightly, as his large hand rested against her skin. "See?"

A frown marred the older man's face as he took in her expression. "Why would you..?" He prompted.

"I'm sorry." Robin murmured. This time she could not keep eye contact. She was too ashamed. Crocodile had saved her in a sense. He had given her protection; he had given her a life. She stayed with him for four years. The longest she had been with anyone, even longer than her own beloved crew. He never demanded much from her, only a little help every now and then. His main reason for needing her was the skill she had. As the last survivor of Ohara, she was the only human being with the capabilities of reading the Ponoglyphs and he had needed her the most to get his hand on Pluton. The closer they got to their goals, the more frightened she became. While Utopia was _his_, it had become _theirs_ some time ago. Her own goals remembered yet not the focus of her life.

She knew he was going to betray her and he knew she was going to betray him. Their partnership was crumbling. They stepped over each other's toes fully aware of the lies and deceit beneath the surface.

It did not take much for it to happen. It took a lanky teenage boy and his nakama for her to acknowledge Utopia was his, not theirs. While they were business partners and nothing more, she had loved him somehow. Somehow, she had grown to love him over the years. She never told him, she did not dare. However, when he impaled her, Robin swore she saw it in his eyes and it was okay for her to die. She was at peace again in her life; it was okay for her to join her mother in that one instant.

The violet haired male's hand cupped her cheek, his thumb wiping away a lone tear. "Why... Why are you crying?" he voiced his confusion.

"It's the wind, silly." she looked up at the tall male. His golden eyes held her prisoner for the longest time. His eyes were always sharp and calculating. She flinched as the weight of his stare became unbearable. She swiftly turned away only to have him grab her chin and force her attention on his eyes yet again.

His expression managed to become harder, colder. "You are apologizing for betraying me." It was not a question. It was a statement.

"Yes." There was undeniable fury in the air, it rolled off him in angry waves. Robin's eyes did not waver as she stood her ground. The odds of this becoming a fight were high. She would handle herself against his attacks if it came to it. If she had to, she would figure out a way for both of them to live. Neither of them could die. She had Luffy and the others and he had his new goals. They had reasons to live. She tensed as his hand moved to her shoulder, where he left it to rest.

"Why?" He seethed angrily.

Robin shook her head slightly. "You're asking too much." How could she explain it all when he could not possibly understand? He would probably brand her off as foolish and that would be that. He wouldn't see any logic in her love, nothing absolutely nothing and that would break the remaining pieces of her heart.

Crocodile's grip on her shoulder tightened. "I have learned a long time ago you can't trust anyone on these seas, not even your own mates. Knowing this, I still trusted you. I put my trust in a woman who would betray me in the end. I noticed the change in you when we found a lead in Alabasta." He laughed bitterly. "How could I not notice your itch for betrayal? You wore it on your sleeves. I knew you so well Nico Robin. You had no use for Pluton. You were going to lie, and that is exactly what you did. Did you expect that I would not know the whereabouts of Pluton are written on there? I had reliable sources. You only had to read it for me Robin and you did not."

_Trusted her?_ He was capable of no such thing. It _hurt _so much to hear him say that. "You had no use for me once you had Pluton." She whispered.

"I trusted you woman. You would have been by my side; our Utopia would have been magnificent." the last few words were uttered through clenched teeth.

"You're lying to me." Robin breathed in and out slowly; she was feeling like a wreck. It took much more effort than you would think for her to keep herself from falling to pieces. Seeing him again was the equivalent to tearing an old wound open again.

"Lie to you?" Crocodile laughed earnestly despite the tense atmosphere. "I have no reason to, you know that."

"Why did you change? You became more ruthless. When someone from the organization finished their tasks, you had them killed. You had no regard for anyone anymore. I also sensed the change in you. Don't you dare accuse me as if I am the only one to blame?" The blue-eyed woman's palm met with his cheek as the heated words tumbled from her lips in one breath.  
>"You are at fault as well…" she lowered her hand. How could he have done that? Her blood was on fire. She felt so many things at once, unable to put a name to most of them.<p>

It was so suffocating between them; a weaker person would have left already however, he reveled in it. _This woman_... "I wanted Utopia more than ever."

"I know that." This was becoming pointless. Why was she tearing herself up for things she would not hear? It was about time she looked for Zoro. It would be trouble if he found them first. She shrugged the ex-Warlord's hand off and turned around, debating with herself.

"I began wanting it for you, instead of myself."

Robin did not turn around. Instead, the woman closed her eyes and listened to the voice of the man she loved behind her.

"I hated the way they scarred you, the wounds you received because of them. Your pain drove me those last few months. The way you shielded yourself from everyone, you used people as much as I did. Your trust issues were the same as mine. I thought someone who emphasized with me so well wouldn't betray me-" His eyes watched as she turned around to face him. "_Nico Robin_. You gave me the lowest blow  
>I'd ever received in my entire existence; you hit me here." Crocodile took her hands in his and slammed them against the left side of his chest. "That was low, woman." he chuckled quietly, baring all his pain before her.<p>

Robin blinked, attempting to clear the tears falling from her eyes. She felt his heart underneath her hands, beating so quickly; just as her own was. "I'm so sorry..." she choked out with a half-strangled sob. She held back by biting her lips, but they still wracked over her silently and she could not stop. She was not one to cry. She could still count the amount of times she has cried on her fingers. However, there was no exception this time. "I-I am.. so-hic sorry..."

Crocodile wrapped his arms around Robin and held her close. They stayed like that for a long time, his long coat protecting her from the rain and vicious wind. "I know." He murmured into her hair.


End file.
